Wrench



April 28, 1925. r 1,535,281

' .J. ZILLI OX WRENCH Filed Dec. 21, 1921 Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ToHN ZILLIOX, or ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'IO FRANKZILLIOX, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ZILLIOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Orchard Park, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in renches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a wrench of the type commonlyknown as amachine wrench.

One of the objects of this invention is to )rovide a wrench of thischaracter which has a removable head so that the same handie can be usedin connection with a plurality of heads of different sizes, and thusperniit of operating on nuts, bolts and the like of different sizeswithout requiring a separate compete wrench for this purpose.

Another object is to so construct the wrench that the same is very thinand compact and thus not only reaches into very narnow spaces but alsotakes up less room when stored or shipped.

A further object is to so construct the wrench. that the same is strongand durable and can be produced in quantities at low cost.

In the accon'ipanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of one form of my improved wrench. Figure 2is an edge view of the same. Figure 3 is a horizontal section of thesame taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Figures i and 5 are longitudinalsections of the handle and head of the wrench similar to Fig. 3, butseparated from each other. Figure 6 is a cross section taken on thecorrespondingly numbered line in Fig. 1. Figures 7 and 8 are perspectiveviews of the handle and head detached from each other. Figure 9 is aside elevation, showing a modified form of my invention. Figure 10 is anedge view of a modification of my invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate eta-responding parts throughoutthe several views.

In its general construction, this wrench comprises a head and a handlewhich are detachably connected with each other. As shown in Figs. 1, 2,3, 5 and 6, the head 10 Serial No. 523,982.

is preferably constructed of a single piece of metal which may bedrop'forged, 'ast or machined, so that the head has a socket ll in itsfront end while its rear end forms a tang 12 the opposite sides of whichare provided with recesses 13 which open rearwardly and'form betweenthem a narrow web 14. The front end of each of these re cesses is deeperthan the rear end of the same, thus forming a forwardly-facing shoulder15 between the shallow rear and deep front parts of the same. The rearend of the web between the recesses is of tapered or wedge-shaped formas shown at 80 in Figs. 3, 5 and 8.

The handle of the wrench may be variously constructed but preferablyconsists of two metal bars arranged side by side and having their rearor body parts 16, 16 engaging each other and connected either by rivets17, as shown, by spot welding, or otherwise, while the front parts 18,18 of these bars are spread apart to form an intervening spacetherebetween and each bar terminating at its front end in a forwardlyprojecting jaw 19. In the assen'ibling of the lead and handle, the awsof thehandle are passed forwardly into the recesses of the head, so thatthe web is arranged between the jaws and each of the latter bears withits opposite longitudinal edges 20, 20, against the opposite parallelside walls 21, 21 of one of the recesses, thereby causing the handle andhead to be firmly interlocked in the direction in which the same areturned when the wrench is used for tightening or loosening a nut, boltor the like. The bars of the handle are preferably constructed ot steelor other metal which has the requisite resilience, so that the jaws ofthe handle may engage frictionally with the head. This frictionalengagement is promoted by bending the front ends of the jaws inwardly ortoward each other, as shown in Fig. i, so that upon passing these jawslength-- wise into the recesses the same will be first spread by thewedge-shaped rear end of the web between the recesses, and when the jawsreach the foremost position in the recesses thejaws will engage with theforwardly-faicing shoulders therein, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus holdthe head and handle tightly together in their operative relation. butstill permitting the same to he readily separated by pulling the sameapart: manually.

The longitudinal forward movement of the jaws into the recess of thehead is preterably limited by the front end of the jaws engaging withthe front ends of the recesses, but in addition thereto and also forproducing a joint between the upper and lower edges of the head andhandle which will not present a sharp or dangerous edge, each of thejaws is provided on its opposite longitudinal edges with forwardlyfacing shoulders 22 which engage with the head at the rear ends 23 ofthe longitudinal walls 21' of the recesses.

In Figs. 1, 7 and 8, the front ends of the jaws and recesses in the headare of round form but if desired they may be otherwise shaped, as forinstance in Fig. 9, where the front end of the jaw 29 and its recess 28in the head 27 come together on a square joint.

The socket of the head may obviously be of any desired shape, the samehein shown for example in Figs. 1 and 8, of a form suitable for takinghold of hexagonal bolts, nuts and the like, while in Fig. 9 this socket26 is made to take hold of corresponding members which are of squareform.

In practice, a plurality of heads are provided each having a socket of adifferent shape or size than the other heads to suit different articlesto be turned, thus enabling the same handle to be used with differentheads and not only reducing the size of the kit of tools required fordoing a certain variety of work, but also effecting a correspondingreduction in cost of equipn'ient. By using the same handle in connectionwith a plurality of heads, a considerable saving in steel is effectedcompared with the amount required when each head has its individualhandle.

Moreover, this construction of wrench is very thin, yet very strong anddurable which permits the same to be packed compactly for storage andtransportation, and furthermore. this wrench can be made of high gradematerial at low cost inasmuch as the same involves comparatively simplecasting or forging and stan'iping operations.

It desired, the head of the wrench may be turned at an angle to thehandle in order to enable the wrench to reach parts ordinarilyinaccessible by a straight wrench. In Fig. 10 is shown such a wrench inwhich the jaws or front parts 190. 191 and the head 100 ren'iovablymounted thereon are arranged at an angle of degrees to the body or rearparts 16 of the handle. The

same heads can he used on handles having either straight or inclinedjaws and the capacity of a kit of wrenches can therefore be doubled bythe use of two handles of this chairacter, for instance. with twelvejaws of difl'erent sizes and a straight and angular handle, twenty fourcombinations are possible.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wrench comprising a head provided on its front part with a socketand on the opposite wide sides of its rear part with recesses whichextend lengthwise to the rear end of the head, and a detachable handleprovided on its front end with two jaws which are separated by a spaceextending from edge to edge of the handle and which engage frictionallywith said recesses of the head.

2. A wrench comprising a head provided on its front part with a socketand on the opposite wide sides of its rear part with recesses whichextend lengthwise to the rear end of the head, the front ends of saidrccesses being deeper than the rear ends of the same and formingforwardly-faci11g shoulders, and a handle provided at its front end withtwo spring jaws which are separated by aspace extending from edge toedge of the handle and which are adapted to enter said recesses andwhich have their front ends bent toward each. other and adapted toengage the shoulders in said recesses.

'3. A wrench comprising a head provided on its front part with a socketand on the opposite wide sides of its rear part with recesses whichextend lengthwise to the rear end of the head. and a handle provided onits front end with two jaws which are separated by a space extendingfrom edge to edge of the handle and which engage with said recesses ofthe head and at the rear end of said jaws with for 'ardly facingshoulders which are adapted to engage with the rear end of said head.

4. A wrench comprising a head provided on its front part with a socketand on opposite sides of its rear part; with recesses forming betweenthem a web the rear end of which is wedgeshaped. and a handle providedat its front end with two jaws which are adapted to be spread by thewedgeshaped rear end of said web and to enter said recesses uponassembling the same.

5. A wrench comprising a head provided on its front part with a socketand on opposite sides of its rear part with recesses, the front ends ofsaid recesses being deeper than the rear ends of the same and formingforwardly-Tacing shoulders and said recesses forn'iing between them aweb the rear end of which is wedge-shaped, and a handle provided at itsfront end with two in ardlvbent spring jaws which are adapted to bespread by engagement with the wedgeshaped rear end of said web and toenter said recesses and engage the shoulders thereln.

6. A Wrench colnprisin a head having 1'ecesses in opposite flat sideswhich extend to the rear end of the head, and a handle composed of twobars which are arranged side by side and having their rear partsconnected together While their front parts are spread apartperpendicular to the plane of the Wide sides thereof and form twoforwardly projecting flat jaws, Which engz'tge With the recesses on theopposite sides by said head.

JOHN ZILLH X.

